

[MARIA GOMEZ]

Taking the Stage!












Did you know that May is Historic Preservation Month?
It’s the People that Make the Place / Jon Rollins
Can We Go Beyond Sustainability?
Hear from our Designers – What’s new in Church Seating?
Need a New Church Facility? Consider Purchasing an Existing Building
When a church has outgrown its existing property or is starting a new campus, one of the first…
It’s the People that Make the Place / Jim West
Stephen Pickard Elected to the AIA College of Fellows
A Destination Workplace Comes To Life
Black History Month: Four Leaders that Empower Us to Make a Difference at GFF
To celebrate Black History Month, four GFFers talk about the inspiration that they draw from four black leaders.
New Year, New Space
And that’s a Wrap! – Austin Creek Show 2021
It’s the People that Make the Place / Maria Gomez
Celebrating a City Prolific Shaper
GFF Cofounder Larry Good will be honored by AIA Dallas at the Impact Dallas Gala on November 4th. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor given by the organization.
¡Tomando el Escenario! Taking the Stage!
A pure and simple architectural form houses a black box theater. Una forma arquitectónica simple y pura alberga el…
It’s the People that Make the Place
GFF has received three awards in 2021 for its service, leadership, and workplace culture and we can’t pass on an opportunity to celebrate the people that have made it possible.
Portrait of a GFFer: Marisa Dominguez
How is ESG Impacting Real Estate Capital Investment?
There’s an acronym that has been around for a while now which is getting more attention as we…
Dallas Morning News – Lake Highlands rental community kicks off construction in Northeast Dallas
“Developers have broken ground on the next phase of the Lake Highlands Town Center in northeast Dallas. The 70-acre mixed-use development is at Walnut Hill Lane and Skillman Street and has been under construction for more than a decade. Developers have already built two apartment communities, a shopping center and townhomes in the project, which is served by a DART commuter rail station. Now, Austin-based builder OHT Partners has started construction on a 403-unit rental community at the northeast corner of Skillman. Called Lenox Lake Highlands, the apartments are scheduled to open next summer.”
Greetings From Austin
It’s time to tell you about all the great things happening deep in the heart of Texas. Our Austin office has grown since we first opened our doors in 2018. We started with four pioneers and have flourished into a bustling office with 13 fantastic designers. These last three years have flown – we cannot hide how exhilarating it has been to establish a practice in one of America’s greatest cities.
Portrait of a GFFer: Jake Chavez
Portait of a GFFer: Sydney Galloso
Organizing Principles of Design – Evolution of a Growing Church Community
This Texas church was able to create a more attractive campus with GFF Architects to design a project…
GFF Church Works: Under Construction
Faculty Offices: A Space Allocation Dilemma
Glass Technology that Can Bring Value to Your Building
Developers typically find that one of the most expensive components of a ground up construction is the glazing systems. Natural light gives life to a building. Without it there’s no life and no demand for space. Insulated glazing was invented in 1865, and the technology slowly started to make its way into commercial development in the 1930’s, becoming commonly available in the 50’s. Glass has a major impact on the experiential quality of a space and is often a primary component of the overall design concept. Glass technology has shaped and repeatedly redefined architecture, and its most recent evolution offers a broad spectrum of options.
Learning and Learning Space
Church Design: SoupMobile Church Food Pantry Gets a Home
Missions-minded architects and contractors help design and build a new worship space and food pantry for the homeless…
Locally Sourced Kindness
We have asked our employees which organizations they supported this year and would like to encourage our readers to support them too! In a year when we have often felt powerless to change things around us, we’ve found strength in the work that these organizations are doing (and have been doing for a long time) to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities.
GFF 2021 Promotions
GFF Church Works Design Maxims
GFF CAN(e): A Design Competition for a New Animal Shelter
Next Generation Student Spaces
Portrait of a GFFer: Faiza Tayyab
Meet Faiza Tayyab. Faiza graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Professional Bachelor of Architecture…
Catching Up with Alix Rios
Alix Rios has returned to lead GFF Interiors. We had a few things to ask her.
CANstruction 2020
While it was an unCANventional summer, our interns were able to still participate in a work from home program – GFFCAN.
Post-Pandemic Landscapes
As a lasting result of the ‘Shelter-In-Place’ orders, our greenspaces may possess increasingly vital roles in our daily lives. As outdoor spaces continue to fill expanded roles, they also may adapt and change.
Renovation and Historic Preservation for Education
Decoding the Effects of COVID-19
A few weeks ago, we asked our clients, consultants, contractors, and friends of the firm to share their experiences during the current pandemic. We are excited to share our findings and some of the excerpts from our generous survey volunteers.
An Atrium of Light
D Magazine – Details, Renderings Unveiled For Uptown High-Rise Redevelopment
“The tower will have floor-to-ceiling glass with planes to extend past the floor slabs at each end. The two retail buildings will be positioned on either side of the office tower with one building designed for several fast-casual restaurants and the other building planned for one upscale eatery. An activated park in the middle of the site will include a variety of seating and pedestrian-friendly pathways to enhance walkability and connection with the surrounding community.”
Dallas Morning News – Striking new Uptown Dallas tower will include restaurants and park space
“Designed by Dallas architect GFF, the 623,624-square-foot office tower is one of the largest new buildings on the way in Dallas’ booming Uptown district. Developer Granite Properties has been working on the development for almost two years and is pushing ahead with final details and a hunt for business tenants. The high-rise in the works will take almost three years to complete.”
Church Design Post COVID-19
Portrait of a GFFer: Max Nochez
Meet Max Nochez. Max graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Science in…
Post-Pandemic Retail
COVID-19 has dramatically affected how we shop, dine, and are entertained. Retailers, restauranteurs, and theater operators are beginning to reopen in limited capacities and think about what the nature of these functions looks like in the future.
Post-Pandemic Housing
Being mindful of potential cost and spatial implications, these ideas outline and suggest realistic measures which may be taken to, logically but resourcefully, re-shape multifamily communities.
K-12 Schools and the Response to COVID-19
The end of May is usually a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the school year just completed…
Jam With GFF
From time to time, we like to share the music we listen to with our coworkers. New albums and new artists are currency for conversations about creative accomplishment and serve as the mood-shifting push that we need to find our own ideas. Temporarily locked in doors due to COVID-19, we find ourselves listening to music more than we’re used to during a workday. Kitchen tables and home offices have become our new workstations and music is providing the right environmental mask to transform our homes into proper work spaces.
Expansion and Renovation Renew 1960s Dallas Church
After working with GFF Architects on various projects elsewhere on the campus over the previous quarter century, Good Shepherd turned to the firm once again in 2016 to expand the seating capacity of the sanctuary, enhance the sanctuary lighting, replace the sanctuary flooring, add an accessible restroom and a covered porte-cochere drop-off.
Should We Be Specifying Antimicrobials?
Portrait of a GFFer: Bryana Cozart
Meet Bryana Cozart. Bryana was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Kansas State University…
Today’s Students Are Different – Is Your Housing?
Portrait of a GFFer: Ryan Bahlman
Meet Ryan Bahlman. Ryan is a west Texas native from San Angelo. He graduated from Texas Tech with…
Emily Mendez’s Home Office and Classroom Space
written by Emily Mendez The process of working from home has been generally smooth. A few “user error”…
Creating Memorable (Shelter-In-)Places
Since transitioning to a fully remote workforce on March 24, GFF has remained committed to providing the high creativity and productivity levels that our clients and consultants rely on. We are proud of the dedication that our GFF team has shown during these challenging times and we couldn’t have done it without each and every employee’s commitment and cooperation. GFF continues to Create Memorable Places from our home work spaces and for that, we are incredibly grateful to our IT team.
VantagePoint Church Under Construction
Productive Struggle, or Why Architecture School is a Model for Education in General
One of the most influential trends in pedagogy today, especially in the world of K-12 education, is Project-Based…
Retail Space Reimagined
Why We do What We Do: The Design of Learning Space
Learning is shaped, for better or worse, by the environment where it takes place. Current research on cognitive…
GFF Church Works Grand Openings
Our Future is Bright.
Pacific Plaza Field Trip
written by Gavin Newman Sometimes research can be fun. After several days of unseasonably cold weather, GFF’s Planning…
GFF Bark + Build 2019
GFF has had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Bark + Build for the past several years which…
Reducing Building Operating Cost Through Good Design
GFF Halloween 2019
GFF celebrated Halloween with our annual pumpkin painting and costume contest! Shout out to this year’s winners: Costumes:…
GFF Church Works Recent Awards
‘On My Own Time’ Gallery 2019
This summer, GFF took part in our eighth year of On My Own Time. By working closely with…
The Impact of Classroom Technology on Student/Teacher Communication
Join Us at PARK(ing) Day Fort Worth 2019!
The GFF Fort Worth Team will be hanging ten at this year’s PARK(ing) Day. Come stop by and…
Portrait of a GFFer: Taylor Hanttula
Meet Taylor Hanttula. Taylor is a Frisco native and graduate of Texas Tech University with a Master of…
Church Works Summer Volunteer Projects
GFF Receives The Texas Society of Architects 2019 Architecture Firm Award
Portrait of a GFFer: Colleen Christian Goff
Meet Colleen Christian Goff. Colleen attended Harding University and lived in Nashville, Tennessee before moving to Texas last…
Buckner Family Hope Center Beam Signing Ceremony
Construction is in full swing on the Buckner International’s new Family Hope Center in the Bachman Lake area.…
Making the Most of Makerspace
Portrait of a GFFer: Perry Weber
Meet Perry Weber. Perry is a Chicago native and graduate from the University of Kansas. He joined GFF…
GFF Austin Celebrates One Year Anniversary
GFF is celebrating our one-year anniversary in Austin with a growing team and an impressive mix of design…
Portrait of a GFFer: Dean Hageman
Meet Dean Hageman. Dean is an Associate in the Austin office, but started his career at GFF in…
Portrait of a GFFer: Maxine Kraft
Meet Maxine Kraft. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Maxine joined the Austin office in…
Portrait of a GFFer: Zach McLain
Meet Zach McLain. Zach received his Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University (Geaux Tigers!) and joined the…
Sticky Space: The Glue that Holds Your Academic Building Together
Up to 66% of learning for today’s college students takes place outside the classroom, according to a recent…
Portrait of a GFFer: Anna Eliese Scott
Meet Anna Eliese Scott. Anna Eliese is a graduate of The University of Wisconsin-Madison and joined the GFF…
St. Andrew UMC Campus Improvements
GFF Participates in STEAM’s ‘Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden Girl Powered Weekend’
This past weekend, GFFers gathered at the Dallas Arboretum for STEAM’s ‘Girl Powered Weekend’ event. The Rory Meyers…
Portrait of a GFFer: Scott Williams
Reducing Annual Operating Costs Through Good Design
Is a Flexible Classroom Right for You?
In last month’s post my colleague Jon Rollins discussed some of the considerations at the intersection of space…
Quality vs. Quantity in Campus Space Planning
One of the most common client comments we hear in our campus planning practice is “there’s not enough…
GFF Announces 2019 Promotions
St. Mark’s School of Texas Winn Science Center Dedication Ceremony
St. Mark’s School of Texas celebrates the dedication of the new 56,000 square foot Winn Science Center. The…
GFF Church Works Holiday Recipe Collection
Portrait of a GFFer: Drake Johnson
Meet Drake Johnson. Drake is an Oklahoma native, where he received his Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from Oklahoma…
2018 AIA Dallas Emerging Leaders Program Graduates
Two GFFer’s, Idaliza Camacho and Tyler Cini, participated in and graduated from this year’s Emerging Leaders Program (ELP)…
GFF Receives Two AIA Dallas 2018 Built Design Awards
“GFF is honored to be awarded by AIA Dallas with design awards for our Factory Six03 and…
Robert Carr Chapel at TCU Receives a Preservation Project Award
written by Jon Rollins On September 13, 2018, the Board of Historic Fort Worth, Inc. presented a Preservation…
Buckner Family Hope Center Groundbreaking Ceremony
GFF was pleased to have an opportunity to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Buckner Family Hope Center…
PARK(ing) Day 2018
We are excited to announce that GFF’s design for PARK(ing) Day Dallas won a Parkie for Best Use…